Two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in 10 citys of Turkey in the south-eastern regions. So far, a total of approximately 45,000 people have lost their lives in these 10 cities. In these days when we are experiencing one of the most devastating disasters in the history of the Republic of Turkey, we as communicators have a great social responsibility.
Communicators were on duty from the very first moment of the earthquake disaster, which negatively affected approximately 15 million people living in 10 cities of our country, in an area of 500 square kilometers, and caused heavy losses. It is very important to manage the chaos that occurs especially in the first hours of disasters that have such a great effect. In this disaster, which affected many people in a very wide geography, we communicators tried to create communication bridges between brands and non-governmental organizations. By prioritizing the unlimited needs of the disaster area, we provided support for the identification of urgent needs items and for brands to organize aid campaigns within the framework of their identified needs.
We are on our duty, aware of our responsibilities as Turkey’s communication professionals, in these difficult days when social unity and solidarity is needed more than ever, by ensuring that brands give the right messages in this process. We expect all our colleagues to raise awareness about this issue all over the world and to take our side in this disaster that has taken place in our region. A long process waits us as a country to heal our wounds. In this context, our efforts to increase the motivation and hope of the society will continue in the upcoming days.
Author:
Tülin Çeneli Dönmez, Co-founder of the PR Turkish agency Feveran